Pentagon slams WikiLeaks plan to post more documents

Slamming WikiLeaks’ announcement that it is going ahead with its plan to post additional 15,000 classified documents on Afghan war on its website, the Pentagon termed it as the height of irresponsibility.

“The only responsible course of action for them is to immediately remove all the stolen documents from their website and expunge all classified material from their computers,” the Pentagon spokesman, Geoff Morrell, said.

“If they were to publish any additional documents after hearing our concerns about the harm it will cause our forces, our allies and innocent Afghan civilians, it would be the height of irresponsibility,” Mr. Morrell said.

Earlier, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said in London that the whistleblower website is preparing to release another 15,000 documents about the war in Afghanistan.

Last week, the Defense Department demanded that WikiLeaks return all documents belonging to the Pentagon and delete any records of the documents.

“The only acceptable course is for WikiLeaks to take steps immediately to return all versions of all of these documents to the U.S. government and permanently delete them from its website, computers and records,” Mr. Morrell said.

However, the WikiLeaks has not responded to the call of the Pentagon.

“We have made very clear that we view the publishing of these communications very seriously and as a very serious breach and a security breach to our soldiers and diplomats overseas,” the State Department Deputy Spokesman, Mark Toner, said.

WikiLeaks, the whistleblower website last month released on the Internet around 70,000 classified U.S. military documents on Afghanistan, some of which included the names of Afghan informants.